"40" is a song by American artists Evilgiane, Nettspend, and Xaviersobased, released under Surf Gang Records on January 11, 2024. The track was the lead single to Evilgiane's album #Heavensgate Vol. 1. "40" was deemed one of the best songs of 2024 by HotNewHipHop, Pitchfork and The New York Times.
| "40" | ||||
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| Single by Evilgiane, Nettspend and Xaviersobased | ||||
| from the album Heavensgate Vol. 1 | ||||
| Released | January 11, 2024 | |||
| Recorded | 2024 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
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| Label | ||||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Evilgiane | |||
| Evilgiane singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "40" on YouTube | ||||
A DJ-Ess remix for "40" was released on March 15, 2024.
Background
editThe track's fruition first came when Xaviersobased's older brother gifted him a beat from Evilgiane. The process behind "40", according to Xaviersobased, was that he was "fried" but "I just remember I was recording and my manager walked in and said Nettspend was there... That's gang. I'm already knowing him through one of my best mans, [so] working with him is great."[1]
Composition
editComing in at a run time of one minute and four seconds,[2] "40" is a trap song, which contains "glossy kick drums".[3] According to Chris DeVille of Stereogum, the track sees Evilgiane feature his "latest skittering, booming production", while Nettspend and Xaviersobased "criss cross" through the beat with their "BabyTron-esque dispassionate YouTube-rapper zone".[2] Vivian Medithi of The Fader wrote how "40" sees Xaviersobased performing most of the track before Nettspend delivers a brief mid-verse appearance. The song has been described as reflecting a stylistic connection between different eras of SoundCloud rap, with Xaviersobased noting that "the vibe stayed the same, but musically, the music is just way more fried, way more bass, way faster."[1]
Alli Dempsey of Alternative Press wrote how the track saw Evilgiane "stir up an effervescent, lurching beat while new-gens Nettspend and Xaviersobased lay down breezy, back-and-forth bars."[4] Brady Brickner-Wood of Pitchfork praised the track, writing how it feels like a "sucker punch to the head"; he also wrote about how Evilgiane's "squiggly synths, blown-out 808, and digi-drill drums, Nettspend and Xaviersobased deliver aggressively nonchalant flows and trade bars about toting TECs and skipping school." He ended the review by adding that the track sees the duo unapologetically remain themselves.[5]
Critical reception
editThe reception for "40" was fairly positive. HotNewHipHop rated "40" at #47 on their "Top 50 Hottest Hip-Hop Songs of 2024".[6] The New York Times' Jon Caramanica ranked it at #12 on his top 30 list for 2024, writing how "a reminder that the only thing more thrilling than one mischievous edge-pusher working without a net is two, or three."[7] Pitchfork called it a "must listen" song, with them featuring "40" on their "Pitchfork Selects Playlist".[8]
Remix
editReferences
edit- 1 2 Medithi, Vivian (February 27, 2024). "Evilgiane's Heaven's Gate Vol. 1 captures rap's underground moment". The Fader. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- 1 2 DeVille, Chris (11 January 2024). "Evilgiane – "40" (Feat. Nettspend & xaviersobased)". Stereogum. Archived from the original on 24 January 2024. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
- ↑ Horvath, Zachary (15 January 2024). "EVILGIANE Produces A Banger For Fresh Talents Xaviersobased And Nettspend". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ↑ Dempsey, Alli (January 31, 2025). "evilgiane: The Surf Gang founder who's recalibrating hip-hop". Alternative Press. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ "The 100 Best Songs of 2024". Pitchfork. 2024-12-02. Archived from the original on 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2024-12-12.
- ↑ "Top 50 Hottest Hip-Hop Songs of 2024". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Zoladz, Lindsay (9 December 2024). "Best Songs of 2024". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2024-12-09. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
- ↑ "Waxahatchee, D'Angelo, Ariana Grande, Four Tet: This Week's Pitchfork Selects Playlist". Pitchfork. March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ "40 (DJ Ess Mix) – Single". Apple Music. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
- ↑ "40 (DJ Ess Mix)". Spotify. Retrieved March 17, 2026.